What is the formula for force?

• A. Mass * Velocity
• B. Acceleration / Mass
• C. Mass * Acceleration
• D. Force = Mass + Acceleration

Answer: (C)

Force is what causes a change in an object's motion. Newton's second law expresses this relationship as F = m a, where F is the net force, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration. This tells us how motion responds to a push or pull: for a given mass, increasing the applied force increases acceleration proportionally; for a constant force, increasing the mass reduces acceleration. The equation also aligns with units: a newton (N) is the force that gives a 1-kilogram mass an acceleration of 1 meter per second squared, so N = kg·m/s^2. The acceleration points in the same direction as the net force, and when multiple forces act, you sum them to get the net force before applying F = m a. The other forms don’t match how force relates to motion: velocity isn’t a measure of force, and mixing or adding mass with acceleration doesn’t yield force. So the proper formula is F = m a.